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Newbury survives but frozen Ludlow abandons

NEWBURY'S meeting this afternoon will take place as planned as the course passed an inspection at 9am.

Temperatures dropped to -3C overnight, but the frost covers deployed on the track did their job.

Clerk of the course Richard Osgood said just after 9.30am: "We're taking the frost covers off and there is no frost under the covers so we are okay."

The going is soft, heavy in places over hurdles, and soft on the chase course.

However there could be no jumps racing in Britain on Thursday as Ludlow joined Market Rasen in being abandoned, while Wincanton's meeting hinges on an 8.30am inspection on the morning of racing.

Market Rasen was abandoned on Tuesday with in excess of two inches of snow covering the track, and Ludlow was forced to abandon following an inspection at 8am on Wednesday.

Clerk of the course Bob Davies said on Wednesday morning: "We were raceable yesterday but we are nowhere near raceable now. Temperatures got down to -6C and it is -4C now. We are not forecast to be above freezing for the next five days."

Officials at Wincanton are hopeful of racing on Thursday, with the course raceable and the going described as soft, heavy in places.

Clerk of the course Barry Johnson said: "We got down to -3C last night but under the covers the track is perfectly raceable. We're forecast -4C tonight and if it is any worse we are going to struggle, but the covers have done a brilliant job."

There are no anticipated problems for the card at Thurles on Thursday.

Friday's cards at Musselburgh and Chepstow are subject to inspections on Thursday at 8am and midday respectively.

Find out what the prospects are for forthcoming fixtures in Britain and Ireland with our at-a-glance guide